Death Is Only The Beginning

Chapter 6: The Return

It had been another long day for Kagome as she walked through the Rukongai. She finally understood Lieutenant Ise’s frustration with their Captain after offering to help the woman locate where he’d run off to. It had turned into an almost day-long game of hide-and-seek. They would occasionally see a flutter of his pink haori around a corner or hear a ‘tsk’ accompanied with a comment about having two beautiful women chasing him come from a building above them, but whenever they would start closing in on him he would miraculously disappear. Their little ‘game’ finally ended when they tracked him down to the home of Captain Ukitake. They had opened the door, both women out of breath and Kagome with a light sheen of sweat on her forehead, and saw their Captain lounging nonchalantly by a table talking with his friend.

Kagome had taken a step back when she saw her Lieutenant’s face flush and her eyes narrow after the laid back Captain had thanked Nanao for her help in what he had called “an exercise to help test and improve Kagome’s speed and endurance.” And she was sure that if Nanao could have had her wish granted at that moment their Captain would have burst into flames. Ukitake had invited them inside to rest and catch their breath and the men had laughed when Kagome practically collapsed on the floor once inside the house. She had found out just what kinds of speeds shinigami were capable of. It was definitely the fastest that she had ever gone and she knew that she was still no match for any Captain or Lieutenant. Although she could have sworn that there were a few times that she would have little bursts of speed and when they would stop she would find herself a few yards in front of the Lieutenant.

Captain Kyouraku had told her to go home once she caught her breath, but the running and the chase had gotten her adrenaline pumping and now her muscles were tense and restless. She’d come into the Rukongai instead to check on the sick as she usually did and play with the children. Yui had gone shopping with her and they’d bought some more food with some of her latest paycheck. Kagome was very excited because she almost had enough saved up to buy a house in one of the nicer districts. She would feel much better knowing that she could get to the children a little quicker in case something happened. But for now they were content in the small house that they shared. She had played with them until it was time for them to eat and go to bed, but Kagome still wasn’t quite ready to go home yet so she kept walking through the streets.

The sun had already set and a bright moon lit the path for her as she continued toward a destination she had been to many times before. It was comforting at times when she would see the similarities that this world held to the Feudal Era that she had traveled in for so long. One of her favorites was that there wasn’t any kind of pollution haze or artificial lighting to distort and block out the light from the stars and the moon. She had kept her eyes trained on the moon with complete faith in her feet to carry her safely down a path they knew with practiced measurements and ease. Since practicing at the Academy she wasn’t quite as clumsy as she used to be and hardly ever tripped over her own feet anymore. Once she felt the tall grass brushing against her pant legs she knew she was there.

She scanned the area for any other life forms and when none were found she took a deep breath and smiled as she spread her arms and twirled around in circles until she finally lost her balance and fell over with a case of giggles. Since coming here she had played the part of surrogate mother and healer which had required a certain level of composure and seriousness on her part and then had to put on a sense of professionalism with her new position as shinigami, but underneath it all she was still seventeen at heart and needed to indulge herself in frivolous activities from time to time…at least when nobody was watching.

As she lay there on her back recovering her equilibrium, she pulled out her sword again to look at it. She’d studied the smooth surface of the steel time and time again, taking in the sharp edge and the bluish-silver tint. The hilt was a dark blue with grey wrapping for a more comfortable grip while the crossguard was a perfect, flat circle that was a lighter shade of blue than the hilt. “You’re going to have to introduce yourself sooner or later,” she coaxed for what had to be the millionth time. She wasn’t even sure if it could hear her, but she found herself talking to it often. “I’m pretty stubborn too y’know…I’ll just keep bugging you about it until you tell me. I’ve been practicing and getting stronger, so maybe you’ll tell me soon. At the Academy they told us that each of our swords has a name and their own personality…it’s just a matter of whether or not their master is strong enough to handle the power of knowing the name. Wait a darn minute…” she said as a thought struck her. “Are you telling me I’m still not strong enough yet?! I’m in the Academy and in a squad which I’ve been told almost never happens, and I’m still not strong enough?! Geez!!”

Taking slight offense to her sword’s implications, Kagome stood and started practicing her swordsmanship. She had been frustrated at first but a smile gradually appeared on her face as she watched the moonlight flicker and sparkle against the pristine blade. She continued until she heard a light rustle from behind her and turned to see Aya, one of the girls she had taken in. “Aya…it’s late and this too far from the house for you to walk by yourself. You could have gotten hurt.” Kagome chastised as she put the sword away and walked to kneel in front of the young girl. “What are you doing here??”

Aya just looked up at Kagome with her large, honey-colored eyes and pushed her dark brown hair out of her face as she said, “I woke up and you weren’t there anymore. I didn’t get to tell you bye so I thought that maybe you came out here. You used to come here all the time when you lived with us.” Her voice was small and high-pitched and it made Kagome warm every time the normally quiet girl spoke. She appeared to only be about six, but she had told Kagome once that she had died well over fifty years ago. They had always shared a sort of bond since Aya was the only other person she knew of who remembered their living years.

“Well come on then,” Kagome said with a smile as she scooped the little girl up into her arms. “It’s late and you should be in bed. I’ll take you back, but then I need to get back to the Court, okay??” She smiled and started the walk back when she felt the small nod in the curve of her neck. Kagome had only been back in the streets of the district for a few minutes when she felt the energies of three Hollow’s coming from somewhere deeper in the community. “Aya, hold onto my neck tightly…” She ordered as she took off with the speed she’d used in chasing her Captain earlier that day. The sight she came upon a few moments later had her heart plummeting to her feet.

The creatures were tearing through the buildings without anything to stand in their way. Their large size and mindless movements were only increasing the damage done and injuries inflicted. Kagome could hear the terrified screams of the people around her but finally snapped out of her shock when her eyes landed on the small lot where her house and the ones beside it had previously stood. Now only splintered boards and battered roofing shingles lay in heaps. Kagome placed Aya on the ground and gave her a gentle push in the opposite direction. “Run…” she said roughly through a dry throat. “Run and hide, Aya.”

As the little girl took off as quickly as her feet could carry her, Kagome turned back around and drew her sword. She knew it would be another couple of minutes at least before anyone else got there, but she was there now and determined to do something. With one last glance to the destroyed house she once lived in she silently prayed, ‘Please let them have gotten out beforehand.’ And with that she put the knowledge she’d been absorbing in her classes to use. ‘They’re big, but they’re moving slowly…never underestimate your opponent. Avoid the hands and aim for the masks for the quickest victory…’ She thought to herself as she charged the creatures.

The first one was easy enough to take when she had the element of surprise, but then the other two knew of her presence and attacked. She was able to get one more but gained a few injuries of her own by the time she got ready to face the final Hollow. She was trying to dodge the attacks while being slowed down by a deep cut on her right thigh. It finally trapped her in a corner and she was going to be forced to either fight it or die when she saw something briefly flicker in front of the mask as a thin line that appeared began to crack and the large body disintegrated into the air. Hearing something beside her, she looked up into the dark eyes of her Captain. “Thank you,” she breathed. She was about ready to rest until she remembered her demolished home.

She stood up and limped into the middle of the street and called their names as Lieutenant Kotetsu of the Fourth Division came up to her to heal her leg, but Kagome simply pushed her away as her panic grew. ‘If they had escaped they would have come back by now…’ she thought as she turned toward the rubble. She ran toward it as quickly as she could and stumbled over the wreckage looking for any signs of life. She began calling names and picking up pieces of wood and tossing or pushing them aside.

During her panic Kagome wasn’t even aware that the young Aya had made her way back after hearing the noise die down. She tried to run past the people in black and white robes to help Kagome only to have a large hand lightly grip her shoulder and hold her still. She looked back up at the extremely tall man as he shook his head with sad eyes and looked up to watch Kagome again. Aya did the same, hoping that her ‘brothers and sisters’ were safe.

As she continued to dig, Kagome finally came upon what she was hoping she wouldn’t fine. There in the debris was a small, pale hand. Eyes widening, Kagome worked faster until she uncovered the body connected to that hand and cried as she pulled the body of the boy Shinji into her arms. With eyes closed tight and tears flowing down her face she didn’t see as her Captain handed a crying Aya to the Lieutenant who had accompanied him. He walked over the wreckage to Kagome and kneeled down beside her with the intention of comforting her until something caught his eye. He looked closer at the place she had pulled the boy from and reached down to tug on something that didn’t seem to belong. Finally pulling the object free, Shunsui looked to Kagome and asked, “Kagome…what is this??”

Kagome opened blurry eyes to see what her Captain was holding, but sobered up the instant she saw what it was. She gently laid the boy down and stood to hold and examine it with unbelieving eyes. It was dusty and blood-stained, but there in her hands was an unmistakable white baboon pelt. She could feel her heart rate pick up and her mind begin to fog over as all thought process stopped and she could only stare.

Shunsui looked alert and began to back away as he felt an almost electric energy begin to crackle in the air around him. He looked to Isane as she put the girl down and began to alert the other Captains still in the Court. “Bakudou 58: Invocation of the tracking birds…”

Back in the Court of Pure Souls, all Captains were receiving the same message. “Attention all Captains, this is Lieutenant Kotetsu Isane. There is a possibly extreme situation in Rukongai Western District 43. Eighth Division member Higurashi Kagome is beginning to lose control of previously unknown amounts of spirit energy as its levels continue to rise without restraint. Captain Kyouraku and I require the assistance of any able-bodied Captain or Lieutenant nearest the area.”

A subsequent message to the Captains was sent out from the Twelfth Division stating that either Captain Kuchiki or Soi Fong should come pick up an item that may be of use in the situation. Just moments later found Nemu standing outside her division’s gates holding out said object for whichever Captain happened to arrive first. She was completely motionless as a black and white blur passed by, grabbing the object while never slowing down.

Byakuya was immediately on his feet at the first announcement, but picked up his pace even more at the second. He knew he was closer than Soi Fong and raced to lend his help. He was soon out of the main gates and racing down dirt streets at a speed too fast for anyone to pick up even his afterimage. He came to a halt beside Shunsui and stared at the sight in front of him. There was the girl that he had been watching, the girl who had finally snapped him to his senses where his late wife was concerned, and her body was surrounded by blue tendrils of spirit energy that were dancing like flames around her. They were breaking apart anything they touched that was made of spirit particles and were only growing in number and size as time passed by. Kagome stood in the middle of it all with a white fur clutched tightly in her hands, screaming as shook her head and tears fell from her closed eyes.

The pressure of the air around them was impressive to say the least and the almost tangible sorrow in the air made it difficult to breathe. Byakuya stepped forward, through the tangible spirit energy, and grabbed Kagome’s arm to pull her closer to him. He wrapped the object he’d been given around her head, and the excess spirit energy disappeared in such a short time it was enough to suck the air from his lungs. He watched as she collapsed into his arms and looked into her wide eyes which were now unfocused. He took her back over to Isane as the Lieutenant checked the girl’s pulse and took in her pale complexion. “She’s going into shock. We have to get her back to the Fourth Division as quickly as possible.”

Byakuya simply nodded and took off back toward the Court with the Lieutenant behind him. Shunsui watched them go and was about to follow when he felt a small tug on the end of his coat. He turned around and looked down to see the watery eyes and red face of the girl who had tried to go to Kagome earlier. He dropped down to her level to look her in the eye and asked, “What’s your name?”

“A-Aya…” she responded in a voice that was almost a cracked whisper.

“Well Aya, would you like to come back to the Court with me? I’m sure Kagome would like to see you when she gets to feeling better.” He was careful to keep his voice soft and calm despite the inner urgency he felt to follow after Byakuya. She sniffled a few times before she nodded and ran up to him to wrap her tiny arms around his neck. He picked her up and rubbed her back as he said, “Then make sure to hang on very tight because we’re going to run very fast.” And with that he was gone, on his way to check on the health of his newest division member.

~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, in Hueco Mundo, underneath the barren sands of the expansive desert there sat a lone figure relaxed against the trunk of one of the enormous, lifeless trees. Crimson eyes opened and a faint smile appeared on a porcelain pale face as a chuckle passed over his lips. With eyes focused on the sparse rays of light from the sands above him, a smooth voice questioned to the air, “I wonder if Kagome liked my little gift?”

~*~*~*~

Kagome awoke later to find herself in what she knew to be one of the many beds in the Fourth Division. Her head hurt and she felt a little dizzy and the last things she remembered were hazy. Blinking a few times to clear the fog that had wrapped itself around her brain, Kagome realized that she couldn’t see out of her right eye. She reached up to feel her eye and gently ran her fingers over a smooth surface. “An eye patch?” She looked around her room only to have her visible eye widen in shock. She saw several arrangements of flowers decorating tables around the room and smiled when she saw a sleeping Hanatarou curled up in an awkward position in a chair next to her bed. Remembering some of what had happened, she reached down to feel her leg and found the skin where the large cut had been completely smooth.

She gently adjusted her pillows and moved to a sitting position and was just about to take the eye patch off when she heard a deep voice from the doorway say, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You might get in trouble with the good doctor.”

Kagome turned to see her Captain with Aya in his arms holding a small teddy bear. The young girl wiggled free and ran across the room to climb up on the bed and snuggle into Kagome’s arms. “Aya, where did you get this kimono??” She asked.

“She got it from Yachiru. It appears that they wear the same size clothing.” Shunsui answered as he walked up to Hanatarou and tapped him on the shoulder to wake him.

The sleeping young man instant shot up and looked around until he looked up into the smiling face of the taller Captain who was pointing to the bed. Hanatarou turned around to see Kagome awake and smiling slightly at him. Tears instantly began to gather in his eyes at seeing that she was going to be okay, but not knowing what else to do he stood up and announced that he was going to go tell Captain Unohana that she was awake.

Shunsui watched him leave the room before taking a seat in the now empty chair and removing his hat as he looked Kagome in the eye with a more serious look. He turned to Aya before addressing Kagome and said, “Why don’t you follow Hanatarou so that he doesn’t get into trouble?” The little girl knew what he meant and nodded before sliding from the bed and running out the door. Looking back at Kagome, Shunsui asked, “Do you remember what happened in the Rukongai?”

“Only bits and pieces…but I have no idea why I’m here if that’s what you’re asking.” She answered.

With a heavy sigh, Shunsui looked to the floor and said, “We were afraid of that…and seeing that I’m your Captain I feel that it’s my responsibility to be the bearer of bad news.” He looked up to see a confused and worried look in her only visible eye. “After you were brought here, a team was sent back to the Rukongai to search through what wreckage was left of your house there. They didn’t find any survivors of who had lived there.” He felt the same electric charge that he’d felt before and quickly said, “Kagome, you need to calm down. I know you have to be angry among other things, but there’s nothing you can do now and Aya needs you to be strong. She lost her family in that accident too.”

Kagome gradually started to remember what had happened as she tried to calm down. Then she looked her Captain in the eyes and said, “That wasn’t an accident.”

“Of course it was, Kagome. You’ve learned by now that Hollows can sometimes get into this world too. It just happens. It can have terrible consequences when it does, but we can’t stop it completely.”

“That’s not what I meant…” She said in a more serious voice than he had heard from her before. “The baboon pelt…did anyone get it from the house?”

“You were still carrying it when you were brought here. I’m not sure where it is now, but I’m sure someone has it. Why??”

“Because that’s how I KNOW it wasn’t an accident. There’s nobody else that it could have come from. I don’t know where he is or how he’s still around, but he planned for that attack to happen.”

“Who Kagome?”

“Naraku…I fought him when I was still alive and he was……there’s not even a name for the things he did.”

Shunsui looked watched her as she seemed to relive an old memory before he said, “Well as soon as your doctor says you can leave, I’ll arrange for you to have a meeting with Old Man Yama about it.”

Kagome nodded her head as she reached up to the eye patch again and said, “Why am I wearing this??”

He just gave a half-hearted laugh and said, “We had a bit of a problem getting your spirit pressure to come down. It’s just like the one Zaraki wears apparently. Kurotsuchi had made another one to be on the safe side when he made the first one. That thing’s some kind of little monster that eats spirit energy…I’m not exactly sure how it all works or how it was made, but it did the trick.”

Kagome paled a little when she heard that she had a small monster on her face, but decided that since it oddly didn’t hurt she would leave it alone until Captain Unohana said she could take it off. And about that time that’s exactly who walked through the door followed by Hanatarou and Aya. The small girl crawled into the bed again as Unohana walked up to Kagome and smiled. “I’m glad to see that you’re finally awake. Did your Captain tell you how long you’ve been here??” Kagome shook her head ‘no’ and Unohana answered, “About ten days now. You put out a very large amount of spirit energy and going into shock afterward didn’t help the situation. Luckily Captain Kuchiki made it here in time for us to help you. He carried you all the way here. You really should thank him when you get the chance.”

“Yes ma’am.” Kagome answered. She always felt like she was talking to her own mother again when she was around Captain Unohana. “It looks like I’ve already had some visitors.” She said as she looked at all the flowers yet again. “I’ll have to remember to thank everyone.”

Unohana nodded her head before she said, “However I think you’ll particularly like Captain Kuchiki’s choice in flowers.” She walked over to one of the tables and returned to hand Kagome a deep blue vase filled with White Hyacinth.

Kagome took the vase and smiled as she inhaled the sweet fragrance then held the vase out so that Aya could smell them too. The girl giggled at the sweet smell and took the flowers from Kagome’s hands to set them in her lap and push her bear’s face in them so that he could smell them too. The surrounding adults laughed at her antics before turning their attention back to Unohana as she said, “I think you could probably take that eye patch off, Kagome. But do it slowly just in case it needs to be put back.”

Kagome followed the instructions given and slowly lifted the triangle from her eye and when nothing happened she pulled it the rest of the way off and blinked a few times to get her right eye used to the light of the room. As her depth perception adjusted she gave a smile to the other occupants in the room and said, “May I go home now, Captain Unohana??”

“Not just yet. I’d like you to stay one more night just to be sure that everything is okay now that you’re awake. You just get some rest and we’ll see how you’re doing in the morning. You may very well receive a few visitors once it gets around that you’re awake. Would you like us to send them in or tell them that you’d rather be alone?”

“No, they can come in. If they take the trouble to come out to see me then I should at least say hello.”

“Alright then, but for now I want everyone out so that Kagome can get her rest.” Unohana ordered.

Aya curled up at Kagome’s side at hearing the command and Kagome ran her fingers through the girl’s soft hair as she said, “Aya can stay. She’ll be good and let me rest, won’t you??” The little girl gave a vigorous nod and Unohana complied and ushered the rest of the group out of the room.

~*~*~*~

Later that evening Kagome sat in bed, looking out her window over the normally white buildings that the setting sun had painted orange. She looked down to her lap when Aya was resting her head as she slept soundly. She’d kept Kagome company through the day as she received small waves of visitors. During the slow periods she would tell Kagome stories of what she had been doing during her time in the Court. Apparently she’d been staying with either Shunsui or Nanao and more or less trailing behind one or the other. She’d also apparently inherited a new wardrobe of the casual clothes that Yachiru was starting to grow out of. Kagome was still saddened that she hadn’t been able to protect her adopted family, but having Aya around had made it a little easier to bear. She could still protect and care for the small child who’d had an iron grip on her heart from the day they’d met.

Kagome looked up when she heard a light knock from her open door. She smiled when she saw Ukitake waiting for her permission to enter the room. “Come on in…it’s a little late for visitor’s though, isn’t it??” She teased.

“It may be after hours, but I have a few special connections around here.” He explained with a wink as he set a basket he’d been carrying on a table and pulled the table over to the edge of the bed. “I hope they haven’t already brought you supper. I’m no stranger to hospital food and thought I’d bring you something a little more palatable. And I have plenty in case your little friend there hasn’t eaten either.”

“Lieutenant Ise came by earlier to take Aya to get something to eat, but I still haven’t eaten. Thank you very much. You really didn’t have to go through all the trouble. I’m sure I’ve eaten worse things than hospital food.” She laughed as she gently moved Aya to lie against the wall that the bed rested against. Then she gently shifted her weight closer to the other side of the bed so that she could face Ukitake while they ate.

“It’s no trouble at all,” he reassured as he began pulling different foods and containers out of the basket. “It’s been a while since I cooked anything and I don’t want to get rusty.”

Kagome looked at the mouth-watering food before her and asked in mild surprise, “You made all of this yourself?? It’s not very often that you see a man that can cook edible food and be completely open about it.”

“Cooking comes with the territory when you’re the oldest in a large family. I have seven younger siblings and often found myself caring for them when I was younger and in better health. I still help take care of them today, just in a much less direct way.”

“And I thought having one younger brother could be a pain…I can’t imagine seven.”

“Five brothers and two sisters,” he corrected with a thoughtful grin. “And it was definitely trying on my nerves and patience at times, but I wouldn’t trade those days for anything in the world.”

“And you were actually born in Soul Society, right??” She was really interested about him because from what she had learned in her previous conversations with him he had been alive for a very long time.

“Yes, I belong to one of the lower aristocratic families. There are currently four noble households, Captain Kuchiki being the head of one of them.” He explained with a smile as he finally had everything set out and ready for their meal.

“So that explains why you’re such a gentleman. I guess growing up as an aristocrat will do that to you, huh?”

Ukitake laughed as he waved his hand and said, “Please don’t overly romanticize it…like I said, we’re one of the lower households. But I was raised to believe that women should be treated with respect.”

“Well it’s nice to see that some men keep chivalry alive and well.” She said as they began to eat. Over the course of the meal the conversation turned to light discussions on things going on in the Court and what she’d missed while she’d been in the hospital. They continued to talk late into the night until Unohana came by while doing her rounds before leaving for the night. Once she called to their attention what time it was they were both a little embarrassed and said goodnight as he packed his basket again and left her alone.

Kagome settled down into her covers and pulled the still sleeping Aya to her chest as she too fell asleep with a blush on her cheeks and a smile in her heart.